GI GROUP UK ACQUIRES MARKS SATTIN

Chesterfield, November 7, 2018 – Nationwide recruiter Gi Group has purchased the specialist financial recruitment firm to extend its offering into this new sector and enhance its presence in key strategic cities across the UK & Ireland.

With offices in Birmingham, Dublin, Leeds, London, Manchester and Reading and over 100 employees, Marks Sattin brings more than 30 years of specialist recruitment expertise to the Gi Group UK family. It joins TACK and INTOO UK & Ireland within the group and immediately positions Gi Group as a leading player in the financial services recruitment sector.

Gi Group UK Chief Executive, Bev White said: “With no overlap on existing business, bringing Marks Sattin into the fold is a hugely positive move which represents a natural extension of the Gi Group offering. It gives us instant traction in a key target sector and extends our national footprint into key cities we have not been present in. Marks Sattin’s presence in central London and Dublin also provides immediate access to areas of increasing commercial importance for us while the addition of high level search and selection expertise is perfectly aligned with our national and global growth strategies.

“A thorough evaluation only served to reinforce our positive perceptions about the capabilities and reputation of the Marks Sattin business. There are also great cultural synergies between the two organisations, both in terms of our focus on delivering exceptional services to customers and candidates alike, but also given the commitment and longevity of employees. We are excited about joining forces with the new team and the opportunities this move creates for both parties.”

Marks Sattin Managing Director, Matt Wilcox said: “This is an important milestone in Marks Sattin’s journey. The backing and support of Gi Group will enable us to accelerate our growth ambitions, deliver even more value to our customers as well as providing our employees with fantastic opportunities that go hand in hand with being part of a truly global organisation.”

Speaking of the strategic importance of the acquisition for the group globally, Gi Group’s founder and CEO, Stefano Colli-Lanzi added: “In the context of our global development strategy, this step increases our competitiveness in professional recruitment and expands our international footprint. In the last 20 years we have become a truly global provider and the expertise of Marks Sattin allows us to widen our HR solutions portfolio further still. With this acquisition we increase our capacity to create value for the development of the labour market and to better meet the increasingly complex needs of our clients and candidates.”

Blackwood Capital acted as advisors to the seller. KPMG acted as tax and finance advisor while Baker Mackenzie acted as legal advisor to Gi Group.

Notes to Editors:

Gi Group UK provides recruitment, staffing and workforce management services to local and national clients of all sizes, placing an average of 20,000 temporary and permanent staff into work nationwide each week across all market sectors. Globally, Gi Group is the first Italian multinational company dedicated to the development of the employment market. Operating in more than 50 countries, the Group is active in temporary and permanent staffing, search and selection, executive search, training, outsourcing, coaching, outplacement and HR consultancy.

Founded in 1988, Marks Sattin offers a full multi-channel recruitment service for interim and permanent positions across the following divisions: Commerce & Industry, Financial Services, Specialist Markets, Executive Search, Business Change and Technology.